Old Empires
Old Empires (also called the Old Kingdoms) is the collective term used to describe the empires of Chessenta, Mulhorand, and Unther. The Old Empires of the Forgotten Realms—Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta—are a unique mini-setting in their own right. These ancient lands combine aspects of ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian, and Greek societies with fantasy elements of the Forgotten Realms. First detailed in FR10 – Old Empires and later expanded upon in the recently released Powers & Pantheons, many recent upheavals have shaken these once-stagnant empires out of their lethargy, ushering in a time of tumult in the region not seen since the destruction of Narfell and Raumathar in the Year of Recompense (–150 DR). In particular, as a result of the Time of Troubles, the ruling theocracies of the Old Empires are badly shaken or shattered, and the balance of power among the dragons resident in the region has undergone a drastic realignment. As the Year of the Tankard draws to a close, a dracolich reigns over Threskel, the squabbling city-states of Chessenta are loosely united under the rule of the Sceptanar of Chessenta, Unther is fractured into overlapping fiefdoms, and the god-kings of Mulhorand are slowly awakening to their peril. The following timeline is a brief chronology of events that occur in the region in the intervening period between the Year of the Prince (1357 DR) and the Year of the Tankard (1370 DR). This accounting covers the period beginning with the current year assumed in the Old Empires supplement through the new current year in recent Realms products and includes background for many of the events discussed in the write-ups of the Mulhorandi and Untheric pantheons in the Powers & Pantheons sourcebook. Italicized sections detail what is truly going on when the rumors of the day are inaccurate and/or incomplete. One final note: For those unfamiliar with the Calendar of Harptos, the months of Toril’s calendar, interspersed with festival days not in any month (in italics), are as follows: Hammer (January), Midwinter, Alturiak (February), Ches (March), Tarsakh (April), Greengrass, Mirtul (May), Kythorn (June), Flamerule (July), Midsummer, Shieldmeet (once every four years), Eleasias (August), Eleint (September), Higharvestide, Marpenoth (October), Uktar (November), The Feast of the Moon, and Nightal (December). The Year of the Prince (1357 DR) Hammer Theris, king of Mourktar, is dying and he has no heir. On the instructions of his god, Assuran of the Three Thunders, he is leaving his throne to the most worthy successor. To find this successor, he is holding a tournament of athletic skills at the base of Mount Thulbane four months hence. This tournament is open to any who choose to participate. The winner of the tournament will be the new king. Ches The Statues That Walk have finally come to a halt, one year to the day after they began to move, for reasons as inexplicable as why they began to move in the first place. The Statues wreaked destruction throughout Mulhorand, but rebuilding efforts are already well underway. Tholaunt, Divine Precept of Thoth, has determined that Derlaunt, Precept of Gheldaneth, was foolishly responsible for reanimating the Statues. Derlaunt intended to animate and control only a single Statue, which would have been a definite coup in the ongoing power games of the various priesthoods, but he quickly determined that he had awakened all of the Statues, and could not control any of them. Tholaunt has not revealed Derlaunt’s foolishness to anyone else, but he has required several significant acts of atonement on the part of the Precept of Gheldaneth. Even Tholaunt is unsure as to why the Statues have stopped moving. A wave of assassinations in Mulhorand climaxes in the murder of Pharaoh Akonhorus of Mulhorand at the hand of one of his most trusted advisors. Horustep III (age 11) takes the throne of Mulhorand, ushering in an age of unusual ferment in Mulhorand. The Fangs of Set are responsible for the spate of assassinations, including the previous pharaoh’s murder, and they have plans in the works to kill the boy-king as well. The Fangs employ magic to charm the designated victim’s friends or bodyguards into becoming their murderers. Many priests in the clergy of Horus-Re are not happy about their new ruler’s energy, fearing (rightly so) that it will eventually lead to a reduction in their authority. The Red Wizards of Thay have sent legions of elementals against the Coastal Cities. Four of the cities are reported destroyed (Lasdur, Taskaunt, Murbant, and Thasselen) and taken under Thay’s banner. Tilbrand surrendered without a fight, and Escalant is still holding out. It is thought that such vast numbers of elementals could not be summoned by spell, but rather a gate or portal was opened directly to the elemental plane of fire. Many refugees are said to be fleeing across the Wizard’s Reach to Chessenta and the Vilhon Reach. Note also that the city of Tilbrand is also called Hilbrand in many sources, and the city of Thasselen is also called Tahasselen in at least one source. Cimbar’s armies drive back the encamped allied forces of Airspur and Soorenar to the south and the west in a series of engagements across the Plains of the Red Wyrm. (Derived from Old Empires, pp. 5, 53) NOTE TO THE EDITOR: The Plains of the Red Wyrm are the unamed lands west of Cimbar and south of Airspur. Tarsakh The Wraith of the Inner Sea, a fleet of Chessenta privateers, have attacked and sunk three ships from Delthuntle sent to break the siege of Escalant and deliver much needed supplies to that city. The Sceptanar has condemned the attack, despite Cimbar’s historic rivalry with the Cities of the North Coast, declared the half-orc “Sea Queen” Kreodo outlaw, and barred the Sea Queen, the Sea Horse, the Sea Jewel, and the Sea Quest from Cimbar’s harbor. In contrast, the military council of Airspur, including its leader, the half-orc Khrulis, has expressed its support for the Sea Queen and noted Escalant’s indirect support for the prior government of Airspur: a theocracy dedicated to Bhaelros. Airspur’s declaration of support for the naval action has far more to do with its ongoing war with Cimbar and the common heritage its ruler shares with Kreodo than the trade agreement signed between Escalant and Airspur years ago when the cult of Bhaelros happened to be in power. (Extended from Ches, 1357, and derived from Old Empires, pp. 58, 62-63) In pursuit of their goal of destroying all magic and inflicting painful deaths on all its practitioners, the lords of Luthcheq kidnap powerful mages throughout eastern Faern. One such abduction results in the capture of King Hercubes’ eldest daughter, an aspiring sorceress, and, in response, Mordulkin mobilizes for war. Therescales, an agent of Jaerios Karanok, exposed the opposition Magus Society’s plan to contact a powerful foreign wizard to his Karanok spymasters. When the Society moved to contact the ruler of Mordulkin through his daughter and to plea for that city’s assistance, the Karanoks had the princess abducted by agents already in place in Mordulkin and proceeded to round up every mage or mage sympathizer in Luthcheq they could find. Mordulkin’s inevitable declaration of war was of no consequence to the mad Karanoks. Greengrass Gilgeam demonstrates his athletic prowess during the Festival of Assumption, the most holy day of the Untheric calendar which marks the Supreme Ruler’s coronation over two millennia ago. While cheering crowds (secretly rooting for Gilgeam’s opponent) watch from shore, the Father of Victory dispatches a dragon turtle in the harbor of the City of Gems. Only the strenuous efforts of the incarnations of Isis and Ramman prevent the complete destruction of Unthalass’s port district during the battle. A fleet of three score naval vessels sails from Sultim’s harbor following the Sharpening of the Sword festival. Constructed in secret by the clergy of Anhur in sea caves south of the city, the ships and their heavily armed crews leave despite diviners’ predictions of fierce storms. Several suspected agents of the Red Wizards in the city disappear in the hours before the fleet departs. The Anhurites intend to assault and, if possible seize, the Thayan base on the Aldor (an island due west of Sultim and due south of Bezantur). Warnings of a brewing tempest in the region are discounted due to suspicions that Thayan spies have already alerted the Red Wizards to the impending attack and unwillingness on the part of Anhur’s priesthood to disobey the direct command of the Divine Precept of Anhur. (Derived from Old Empires, pp. 7, 16, and Powers & Pantheons, p. ) Mirtul The fleet of vessels dispatched from Sultim by the priests of the Blood Fortress is decimated by fierce storms which wrack the Alamber Sea and never reaches the Aldor. Nevertheless, the crews of the surviving ships are perfectly positioned to attack a sahuaghin army that coincidentally emerges from the depths to raid the coastline from Skuld to Sultim. The Battle of Summer Storms rages up and down the coast of Mulhorand for a fortnight before the armies of Aleaxtis are driven off. Less than a dozen vessels from the original fleet return to Sultim’s harbor. Despite the great loss of life, Anhur’s priesthood garners considerable respect from the populace for defending Mulhorand from foreign invaders, its ancient responsibility. The priesthood of Horus-Re, which was caught totally off guard by the attack, suffers a comparable loss of status. (Extended from Greengrass, 1357) Mourktar has a new monarch of Mulhorandi ancestry, King Theriheb I, a paladin of Osiris. There were many disruptions during the tournament due, in large part, to the rampant cheating and the settling of numerous long-standing feuds among the participants. Notably, Helyos of Akanax, one of the favored contestants and leader of the lawless band of mercenaries based in Akanax known as the Renegades, was implicated in the death of Thareus, a lieutenant in a rival mercenary group known as the Society of the Sword (currently based in Cimbar), during the charioteering competition and forced by King Theris to withdraw from the tournament. Gilgeam’s chosen champion, Nebuseddar, an early favorite in the competition, died from magically poisoned wine he drank on the third day of the tournament and could not be revived. In the planned duel to the death between the two final candidates, Sorn, a trader from Bezantur, vanished a split second before Theriheb could inflict a death blow. Evidence discovered later implicated Sorn in Nebuseddar’s murder. Within days of King Theriheb’s ascension to the throne, the former monarch dies peacefully in his sleep. Sorn is really a servant of Lauzoril, Zulkir of Enchantment and Charm, who was ordered to win the crown or assassinate the winner. Despite Sorn’s failure to accomplish his mission, the Red Wizard rescued his agent seconds before his death, for the false-merchant was successful in framing Helyos for Thareus’s death and for the murder of Nebuseddar, thus eliminating two of the most likely victors. (Extended from Hammer, 1357) Mordulkin’s armies meet the armies of Luthcheq in a series of inconclusive engagements near the Ford of Nanna-Sin that gradually bog down into a stalemate along the Tuuru River. (Extended from Tarsakh, 1357) NOTE TO THE EDITOR: The Tuuru River runs northwest from the Riders to the Sky mountain range to the Bay of Chessenta, exiting between Luthcheq and Mordulkin. As far as I can tell from consulting the likely TSR printed source material, this river has not been previously named. I chose the name based on the giant bird-like lizards (pteranodons) which reside in the southern peaks of the range from which the river flows. The Ford of Nanna-Sin is named for a long-dead member of the Untheric pantheon and is located where the road from Luthcheq to Mordulkin crosses the Tuuru River. See Old Empires, p. 52. Cimbar’s armies push Airspur’s forces nearly halfway down the coast to the west before Airspur’s armies manage to regroup. Cimbar’s fight against Soorenar’s armies grounds to a halt less than ten miles from Cimbar’s outlying farms. In response, Soorenar’s lords hire powerful wizards to bombard Cimbar, devastating unwarded New Cimbar and severely weakening the city’s economy. Soorenar’s bombardment of Cimbar alienates wavering Akanax, which had been considering attacking Cimbar, as Soorenar employed similar tactics against Akanax in the most recent war between the two cities. (Extended from Ches, 1357, and derived from Old Empires, p. 60) Kythorn A secret expedition to Raven’s Bluff has returned to Luthcheq in triumph. Led by one of the younger Karanoks, the band succeeded in capturing and bringing back alive a mated pair of disenchanters. An extensive breeding program is expected to ensue. (Derived from Pages from the Mages, pp. 117-118, and MC Annual #3, p. 24) Escalant has fallen to elemental armies of Thay. (Extended from Ches, 1357) The youngest son of King Hippartes is attacked and badly injured, and agents of Soorenar are blamed. In revenge, the monarch of Akanax forms the Triangle Alliance with Cimbar and Mordulkin, and the three cities declare war on the Northern Alliance of Luthcheq, Soorenar, and Airspur. Mordulkin is behind the attack on the young prince. Agents of Hercubes deliberately implicated Soorenar’s rulers so as to draw Akanax into the war, increase the forces arrayed against the Northern Alliance, and weaken Luthcheq’s security to the west, thus improving Mordulkin’s overall position. (Extended from Mirtul, 1357, and derived from Old Empires, pp. 54, 59) Flamerule War has broken out between Thay and the armies it used to conquer much of the North Coast. Legions of humans, gnolls, goblins, and zombies are battling salamanders for control of the Priador. Occupying forces have been withdrawn from Tilbrand, Lasdur, and Taskaunt. (Extended from Kythorn, 1357) A tax revolt in Messemprar is gathering steam, and food shortages are growing. Gilgeam, the Supreme Ruler of Unther, takes no immediate action. (Derived from Old Empires, pp. 38-39, 43, 67) Riots break out in Airspur between the majority human populace and the half-orc minority, composed largely of recent immigrants. The half-orc Khrulis and the rest of the military council are forced to sue for peace with Cimbar in order to crush the incipient revolution. (Extended from Mirtul, 1357, and derived from Old Empires, p. 58) Eleasias The Sceptanar of Cimbar, self-proclaimed ruler of Chessenta, has sent an envoy to Sembia, Cormyr, and the Dalelands seeking word of those who unleashed the magic-eater in Scornubel two winters ago. The Sceptanar has a similar creature imprisoned in an ancient globe in the Crypt Royal, and offers gold, magical training, griffins, or noble maidens of his realm to anyone who can safely unleash the magic-eater without harming the people and treasures of Chessenta. He wants it returned to its home plane or controlled to do his bidding in a certain task. (Corrected excerpt from the DM’s Sourcebook of the Realms, p. 43, and Old Empires, p. 65) The armies of Cimbar and Akanax besiege Soorenar, but the siege unexpectedly settles into a stalemate as the putative allies jockey for position after the expected foe of their mutual foe. (Extended from Mirtul, 1357) Luthcheq’s armies slowly fall back in the face of Mordulkin’s superior forces. The cost to both cities is high however, and Mordulkin’s wizard corps is devastated by the witchweed fields the Karanoks have secretly sown west of the Tuuru River. (Extended from Mirtul, 1357) Higharvestide Riots erupt in Messemprar due to severe food shortages. (Extended from Flamerule, 1357) Marpenoth The riots quickly in Messemprar lead to open revolution, and many city guardsmen and citizens are killed in the strife. Control of the city is divided among several factions: Lord Annunaki and his guard control the palace district, the Northern Wizards control the southern section and the city gates, and the “non-slaves” (ex-slaves who have renounced their freedom) control the dock district. (Extended from Higharvestide, 1357) Akanax mobilizes for an assault on Soorenar, and in response the Lords of that city sue for peace with Cimbar, hoping to spare their city and save their own lives. The Sceptanar of Cimbar accepts Soorenar’s surrender, and defers further conflict by promising Akanax free passage for its trade goods and forcing vanquished Soorenar to pay heavy reparations to rebuild Akanax. Luthcheq and Mordulkin reach an uneasy armistice brokered by the Sceptanar as neither Cimbar nor Akanax can spare troops to enter the war (as both are too busy guarding against treachery by the other), and Mordulkin’s unexpectedly heavy losses prevent Luthcheq from being overwhelmed but are not severe enough that Luthcheq has any hope of prevailing. (Extended from Eleasias, 1357) Uktar Larsa and Tammuz, high-ranking members of the Northern Wizards are murdered, and the assassin is said to be Shuruppak, the Reaper. Within two days, the palace district is overrun and Lord Annunaki is killed by an angry mob. Dama, leader of the slave revolt, and Shurlash, leader of the Northern Wizards, jointly declare the independence of the Free City of Messemprar. Gilgeam sends six ships of Unther’s navy to blockade the port and his poorly trained army to besiege the city walls. (Extended from Marpenoth, 1357) Nightal The Siege of Messemprar persists, but without any sign of resolution. Ships from Bezantur and Mourktar easily evade the naval blockade and supply the city’s hungry populace with sufficient food to resist Gilgeam’s ire. While King Theriheb of Mourktar is assisting the rebels primarily for moral reasons, the shipments from Thay are simply another ploy by Lauzoril, Zulkir of Enchantment/Charm, to destabilize Unther and possibly to acquire a permanent base on the southern coast. Ruduk, Lauzoril’s agent, has ensnared Dama in a web of enchantments that leave the charismatic demagogue susceptible to his every word. (Extended from Uktar, 1357) The Year of Shadows (1358 DR) Kythorn The biennial competition to determine Chessenta’s finest athletes begins on the first day of Kythorn on the fields of Pryollus under the shadow of Mount Thulbane. The most notable participant is King Hippartes, who has not competed in the games since assuming the throne of Akanax. King Hippartes has received a vision from the god Assuran commanding him to participate in the games, and the monarch, a faithful follower of the Lord of Three Thunders, attends without question. (Derived from Old Empires, pp. 53, 54, 58-59) The Fellowship of the Firebrand has arrived in Cimbar from lands to the north and west and accepted the Sceptanar’s challenge. When the group attempts to unleash the imprisoned hakeashar on the 15th day of Kythorn, however, both the adventuring company and the eater-of-magic simply disappear without a trace. Suspecting treachery leading back to the Karanoks, the Sceptanar quickly offers a sizable bounty on the head of every member of the company. For the time being, Cimbar’s Great King chooses not to open the treasure vault of the Crypt Royal as he fears further trickery. In truth, the Fellowship of the Firebrand and the Sceptanar fell victim to the magical chaos caused by the Fall of the Gods. A simple divination spell employed by Maelos Karanok to spy on the proceedings misfired, creating a magical vortex between the temple of Entropy in Luthcheq and the Crypt Royal. Both the hakeashar and the adventuring company were swept through the temporary gate to Maelos’s private chapel. The high priest of Entropy and all but one member of the Fellowship were slain in the ensuing implosion of the hakeashar when it came into contact with the burning witchweed in the room, and a large, permanent dead magic zone centered on the temple and encompassing most of Luthcheq was created in the aftermath of the event. (Extension of Eleasias, 1357 DR) On the 15th day of Kythorn, gods arrive in the Realms in weakened avatar form throughout Faer#158;n. In the Old Empires region, this arrival is far less dramatic than elsewhere given the number of god-kings of the Untheric and Mulhorandi pantheons already in residence. The most notable manifestation occurs when the Lord of Three Thunders appears on the slopes of Mount Thulbane in the body of King Hippartes and descends to greet the awe-struck assembled participants and spectators. Assuran/Hippartes commands all those present to return to their cities and gird for the war of revenge which will soon sweep all of Chessenta. The Lord of Three Thunders then vanishes in a massive plume of smoke as three booming thunderclaps roll across the plains of Threskel. Appearances of omnipotent power notwithstanding, Assuran/Hippartes departs for the Thaymounts where he has hidden an cache of weapons for use in the coming conflicts. Although successful, the Lord of Three Thunders narrowly evades the plots of a Red Wizard known as the Masked One on the 19th of Kythorn. He then returns to Akanax and prepares for war. (Extended from Kythorn, 1358, and derived from Running the Realms, p. 18, Powers & Pantheons, p. and Cloak of Shadows, pp. 189-191) The six-month old siege of Messemprar is finally ended. In the chaos that follows the Fall of the Gods, Gilgeam finds it prudent to withdraw his army (those who did not desert) from Unther’s northern border and declare victory. In Messemprar, Dama dies a martyr’s death when he falls to the Reaper’s blade, as a parting gift from Gilgeam. Shurlash and the Northern Wizards reconstitute the government as an oligarchical magocracy. In gratitude for the assistance of Mourktar and Bezantur, the council of Messemprar drafts laws granting merchants from both cities special trading privileges. While the Red Wizards lose much of their sway over Messemprar with the death of Dama, Ruduk had managed to infiltrate the Northern Wizards during the course of the siege, and he joins the ruling council upon Dama’s death. Gilgeam never acknowledges the secession of Messemprar, but neither does the god-king attempt to exercise his sovereignty in the region again. (Extended from Nightal, 1357) Flamerule Citing Akanax’s unsated appetite for revenge against Soorenar, Assuran/Hippartes and the armies of Akanax march north along the River Akax. Soorenar quickly falls to the attackers, despite the assistance of the occupying Cimbaran garrison, and is destroyed in the resultant carnage. (Extended from Marpenoth, 1357, and Kythorn, 1358) Maladraedior, the great blue wyrm, has been seen once again over the skies of Dalath in hale health. Some 2,650 years ago, Maladraedior, then the reigning suzerain of the blue dragons of Unther and Mulhorand, abdicated or disappeared, and the great wyrm has not been seen since. Several merchants visiting Dalath at the time have recounted his aerial battle with a lesser wyrm of uncertain heritage who quickly fled from the 4,000 year-old behemoth. The last sighting of Maladraedior occurred in the Great Vale of Mulhorand and he was spotted heading south and east towards the great dust desert of Raurin. As the last remaining worshiper of Kalzareinad, a (N(E)) demipower of draconic magic, Maladraedior was the only candidate to serve as that draconic deity’s avatar host during the Time of Troubles. The great blue wyrm has long laired beneath the streets of Dalath in a hidden temple where he is served by members of the Ramahiresh and Kalmarak families. As Kalzareinad/Maladraedior, the great blue wyrm emerged from his centuries of seclusion and set out to recruit new worshipers among the younger blue, brown, and yellow dragons of the Raurin region, achieving only limited success. At some point, Kalzareinad/Maladraedior encountered the avatar of Kereska and Kalzareinad voluntarily mearged his aspect with that of the Wonderbringer. The revitalized Kereska accepted Maladraedior as one of the highest ranking priests of her faith, and bid him to redouble his evangelistic efforts. Following the conclusion of the Time of Troubles, Maladraedior returned to his subterranean lair in secret, along with a clutch of twelve chromatic dragon eggs of varying hues that he plans on raising as disciples of Kereska/Kalzareinad. As a gift from his reinvigorated deity, Maladraedior has maintained the youthful state of health Kalzareinad’s avatar exhibited. As a result of his renewed vigor, Maladraedior may become significantly more active in the coming decades. (Derived from Draconomicon, “The Millennium Dragon,” pp. 90-98, and Cult of the Dragon, p. APPENDIX 1: DRAGON DEITIES) Several hundred followers of Geb are observed by passing merchant traffic entering sea caves west of Skuld. None of the missing Gebites are ever heard from again, and the caves they entered mysteriously collapse within hours of their disappearance. Geb leads his followers west through tunnels beneath the Alamber Sea to the subterranean heart of the island known as the Ship of Gods. There his followers begin construction of a temple they call the Golden Forge in the depths of the simmering volcano that dominates the isle. The Gebites complete their temple over the course of the next decade, all the while working to contain the long-threatened eruption. (Derived from Powers & Pantheons, p. ) Eleasias Savage werecrocodiles of the Adder Swamp win an important victory in their long-running war with a community of wererats resident in the region. Sebek’s faithful are said to have been lead by an avatar of the Smiling Death who manifested after the Fall of the Gods. (Derived from Old Empires, p. 52, and Powers & Pantheons, p. ) The armies of Akanax, augmented by conscripts from fallen Soorenar, unexpectedly appear outside the walls of Luthcheq. Within days, Luthcheq is reduced to a smoking ruin, and Assuran/Hippartes declares that Cimbar’s historic arrogance towards the other cities of Chessenta will soon be avenged. The Sceptanar of Cimbar wisely surrenders to the vengeful god-king without even a token of protest. As for the mad Karanoks, most are slain, but a few survive amidst the catacombs of the ruined city. (Extended from Flamerule, 1358) Reports of a great battle in the harbor of Sultim spread throughout Mulhorand. The avatar of Anhur, God of War, has defeated a great white shark larger in size than the greatest leviathan. The shark, believed to be the avatar of Sekholah, god of the sahuaghin, is said to have been gravely injured and fled the Alamber Sea. (Powers & Pantheons, p. ) __ FOLLOW-UP WITH INCREASED SAHUAGHIN ATTACKS ON THE COASTS OF UNTHER AND MULHORAND __ Gilgeam, god-king of Unther, destroys the Dark Lady, a three-headed (red, blue, and green) incarnation of Tiamat that has been active in the Firetrees region since the Year of the Bloodbird (1346 DR). A several mile wide swath along the southern bank of the River Alambar is incinerated in the conflagration touched off by the battle. The Supreme Ruler of Unther declares the Nemesis of the Gods forever vanquished. Tiglath, high priestess of the cult of Tiamat, disappears during the battle. The Battle of Burnt Fields does indeed destroy Tiamat’s avatar, but the Dragon Queen is well prepared for that outcome. The Chromatic Dragon’s essence splinters and disperses into the three most powerful chromatic dragons in the region of the corresponding colors: Tchazzar (red), Gestaniius (blue), and Skuthosiin (green). Tiglath’s fate is unknown, and she is never seen in Unther again. Rumors hint that Tiglath was ambushed by Shudu-Ab, the ambitious high priestess of the Altar of Scales located beneath the streets Unthalass. (Derived from Powers & Pantheons, pp. , , ) Eleint The Salamander War has finally come to an end and the Red Wizards are victorious thanks to the aid of the elemental legions of Kossuth, Tyrant Among Fire. The western Coastal Cities have maintained their independence, while the eastern cities of Escalant, Murbant, and Thasselen have fallen under Thayvian domination. Claims that Kossuth himself appeared on behalf of the Thayvian are widely dismissed as rumor, despite the presence of many other deities in the Realms. (Extended from Flamerule, 1357) King Theriheb I vanishes after just over a year on the throne of Mourktar. Shuruppak, Gilgeam’s chief assassin more commonly known as the Reaper, is widely blamed Theriheb’s assassination, but no trace of the paladin of Osiris is every found. A regency council chaired by Surran Thunderbolt, high priest of Assuran, and including prominent merchants, military leaders, and Dread Imperceptor Kabarrath Telthaug, high priest of the Black Lord’s Cloak, assumes control of the city. Mourktar’s late monarch was in fact deposed by Banite agents of Telthaug as part of the Dread Imperceptor’s plot to seize power in the city. Telthaug continues secretive efforts underway to co-opt the members of the new ruling council. (Extended from Mirtul, 1357, and derived from Faiths & Avatars, p. 39, and Powers & Pantheons, p.) The armies of Assuran/Hippartes march around the northern extent of the Riders to the Sky Mountains, seeking vengeance for Unther’s purported involvement in the disappearance of Mourktar’s recently anointed king. Reinforced by armies from Mourktar, the Chessentan armies shatter Unther’s poorly equipped and poorly trained forces in the Battle of Bloody Metal. During the conflict, Assuran slays Ramman, the Untheric god of war. (Extended from Eleasias, 1358, and derived from Powers & Pantheons, p. , , ) A gigantic red wyrm is observed in flight above the Great Vale heading towards the Sword Mountains. Tchazzar, imbued with Tiamat’s divine energy, feels compelled to seek out Gestaniius, another receptacle of the Dragon Queen’s essence. The great red wyrm eventually triumphs over his crippled opponent after twelve days of battle, and he immediately devours her corpse before sinking into a month-long slumber. (Extended from Eleasias, 1358) Marpenoth The shattered armies of Unther are reforged under the leadership of the avatar of Ramatep, god of war. In the Battle of Thunder, on the 10th of Marpenoth, the armies of Unther and Chessenta clash on the plains of Threskel, while the avatars of Assuran and Ramatep battle for supremacy. The tightly executed strategy of Unther’s general divides the army of Chessenta, despite its numerical superiority, and the allied forces of the city-states quickly dissolve into squabbling legions. Ramatep drives the Lord of Three Thunders from Unther, and Assuran’s host, King Hippartes, is never seen again. Ramatep is the Untheric name for Anhur, Mulhorandi god of war, and, in the aftermath of the battle, Anhur claims fallen Ramman’s disputed portfolio. (Extended from Eleint, 1357) The Alliance of Chessenta quickly dissolves once again into fractious city-states with the defeat and disappearance of Assuran/Hippartes. Former inhabitants of Soorenar and Luthcheq begin the slow rebuilding of the western city, but the City of Madness, as Luthcheq is commonly known, is left in ruins. Gormantor, Hippartes eldest nephew, succeeds his uncle as king of Akanax. In addition to the small populace who remain amidst the ruins, Luthcheq’s catacombs are adopted by many of the wererats fleeing the Adder Swamp. The lycanthropes come under the sway of Saestra Karanok, a vampiress known as the Lady of the Night. (Derived from Old Empires, p. 59, and Dragon #236, pp. 82-86, and extended from Eleasias, 1358, and Marpenoth, 1358) __ AT SOME POINT WERECROCODILES SUFFER SETBACK AND THE WAR MUST RESUME __ The 15th of Marpenoth is the Time of Departure and the end of the Time of Troubles. From this day forward, the long-static pantheons of Unther and Mulhorand as well as the Faer#158;nian pantheon are forever changed. Some gods, such as Ramman, Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, have been destroyed, others, including Tiamat and Assuran, are noticeably absent, and others, such as Gilgeam, are significantly reduced in power. Both the Untheric and Mulhorandi pantheons are reconnected with their Outer Planar essences, and thus less involved with the day-to-day affairs of Unther and Mulhorand, respectively. Their power is hereafter dependent on the strength and fervor of their followers. (Derived from Running the Realms, p. 18, and Powers & Pantheons, p. ) Numerous wild and dead magic regions appeared in Chessenta, Unther, and Mulhorand during the Time of Troubles, and some of them appear to be persisting. In addition to the large dead magic zone that appeared throughout Luthcheq during the Time of Arrival, smaller such regions have been found scattered throughout the eastern reaches of the Akanapeaks (with several such regions located near strongholds occupied by the Flaming Spike orc tribe) and in the northern reaches of Azulduth, “The Lake of Salt.” Many wild magic regions have appeared as well in these three ancient lands. The largest seems to be located in the Hills of Maerth, centered on the holdings of the archmage Azurax Silverhawk, who purchased large tracts of land in area several years ago. Whether this development will impede or facilitate his quest for a philosopher’s stone is unknown. Smaller wild magic “bubbles” have been found throughout the Methwood and along the banks of the River of Spears as well. The wild magic zone in the Hills of Maerth is due in part to the magical researches of Azurax Silverhawk. The archmage had been secretly searching for the catacombs that lie beneath the ruins of the long-lost tower of Ultham, son of Urrekanam. The latter wizard is the near-legendary creator of the Magical Chessmen of Ultham-Urre and is believed to have once dwelt in the hills near the village of Oslin. Azurax found some magically hewn caverns that appeared to have been created by Ultham, but before Silverhawk could fully investigate them, a fluctuation in the Weave cataclysmically interacted with his divination spell. The subsequent explosion created a massive wild magic zone in the region and collapsed the newly discovered complex. Azurax barely escaped with his life. (Derived from Running the Realms, p. 18, Old Empires, p. 52, and Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical, pp. 97-99) A three-headed dragon sporting red, blue, and green heads is seen overhead in Maerch. This follows three days after the only survivor of a hunting party stumbles out of the Methwood claiming to have witnessed a terrible battle between a two-headed dragon who breathed fire and lightning and the venerable green dragon of the Methwood, Skuthosiin. After slaying Gestaniius and devouring her corpse, Tchazzar absorbs the divine energy she too had received from Tiamat. The Father of Chessenta then sprouts a second head, blue in hue, and begins to hunt Skuthosiin in the belief that a victory over the green dragon will allow him to replace Tiamat in the pantheon. When Tchazzar foolishly destroys Skuthosiin and devours his corpse in turn, Tiamat manifests once again in the Realms and the Chromatic Dragon begins to plot the death of Gilgeam, once and for all. (Extended from Eleint, 1358) The Feast of the Moon A five-headed avatar of Tiamat lands atop the Ziggurat of Eternal Victory in the Palace District of Unthalass and bellows out a challenge to Gilgeam in the tongue of the gods. Unable to ignore this challenge, Gilgeam emerges from his throne room for the first time since the Time of Departure. At first, the Supreme Ruler of Unther and the Dragon Queen at first seem evenly matched, but the diminished stature of the son of Enlil is soon apparent to even his followers. The Chromatic Dragon destroys the last true member of the Untheric pantheon after twelve hours of continuous battle that destroyed much of the Unthalass as it unfolded. The avatar of Tiamat consumes her ancient enemy’s corpse and perishes immediately thereafter, despite the lack of an obviously mortal wound. Unbeknownst to most inhabitants of Unthalass, the battle which destroyed their city continues to rage in Acheron and Baator. Gilgeam’s Outer Planar essence destroys Tiamat’s avatar after the Chromatic Dragon destroys his manifestation in the Realms. Tiamat in turn attacks Gilgeam, albeit at great personal cost to herself. The Feast of the Moon of the Year of Shadows is forever known in the Old Empires as the Feast of Tiamat. Extended from Marpenoth, 1358) Nightal Fires and beasts loosed by the destruction of Unthalass’s zoo and gladiator arena rage throughout the City of Gems unchecked for ten days after the death of Gilgeam. Rampaging mobs who gather as night falls destroy idols of Gilgeam throughout the city and kill every Gilgeamite they can find. The rioting does not stop until the Ziggurat of Eternal Victory is sacked on the tenth day after Gilgeam’s destruction. For the rest of the month, Unthalass slowly disintegrates as no one rules the city. Thousands of refugees flee the chaos of the “Night Fires” with the aid of the clergies of Ishtar (Isis) and Ramatep (Anhur). (Extended from the Feast of the Moon, 1358) The Year of the Serpent (1359 DR) Hammer As the great diaspora from shattered Unthalass continues, anarchy spreads to the rest of Unther. Within a fortnight, Gilgeam’s clergy is annihilated thanks to the mobs that fan out across the country, looting and killing as they go. In Unthalass, a still calm gradually settles over the city. The City of Gems is reduced to less than a tenth of its pre-Time-of-Troubles population. Shudu-Ab, Wyrm Princess of the Dark Scaled Ones and high priestess of the Altar of Scales, emerges from the city’s catacombs to proclaim the rule of Tiamat over Unther, but few heed her proclamation, at least initially. A few of Gilgeam’s priests and an army of slaves escape the tumult and make their way to a secret stronghold long hidden in the eastern branch of the Smoking Mountains. The new residents of the Citadel of Black Ash are all that remain of Gilgeam’s once all-powerful clergy. Shudu-Ab’s Serpent Guards begin a reign of terror throughout Unthalass and the surrounding region after the Dark Scaly Ones claim rulership of shattered Unther in their queen’s name. Many opponents of the Dark Scaly Ones are hunted and killed in the months to come as Shudu-Ab gradually establishes her control over the City of Gems and her influence throughout much of central Unther. However, the Wyrm Princess’s authority is undermined by the widespread belief that the Dragon Queen died alongside Gilgeam, and, despite the prayers of Shudu-Ab, Tiamat does not manifest in Unther over the course of the next decade or give any sign that might convince the populace otherwise. (Extended from Nightal, 1358, and derived from Powers & Pantheons, p. , ) Ches Zhenghyi, the Witch-King of Vaasa, is destroyed by the Heroes of Bloodstone, and Damara is reunited by Gareth Dragonsbane and his stalwart companions. To break the stalemate at the Ford of Goliad between the armies of Damara and the Witch-King’s forces, the Heroes of Bloodstone journey to the Abyss and steal the Wand of Orcus. During the course of their adventures, Gareth and his companions battle and slay an avatar of Tiamat. This setback disrupts Tiamat’s plan to reappear in Unther and claim all of Gilgeam’s former territory as her sovereign domain before the avaricious Faer#158;nian and Mulhorandi pantheons began divvying up the unclaimed territory. (Extended from Hammer, 1359, and Running the Realms, p. 18) Flamerule A greater quelzarn has been seen off the coast of Unthalass at least three times in the past tenday. Six ships are already missing, including the Bey of Chessenta, the Maid of Gems, the Pride of Enki, and the Watcher’s Cape, and their disappearances have been blamed on the legendary sea serpent. Hunted nearly to extinction centuries ago by Untheric nobles, it has been seventeen years since the last known sighting of a quelzarn, let alone a greater quelzarn. The situation in Unther is too chaotic for a hunt to be organized, and the beast disappears within a month of its first noted appearance after wreaking havoc with shipping in the Alamber Sea. (Derived from Tantras, p. 47, and Old Empires, p. 86) Uktar After attacking distant Shou Lung, the Tuigan horde turns westward and invade Faer#158;n. The Tuigan horde battles the armies of Thay in the Battle of the Griffon Legion. (Derived from Hord Campaign, pp. 30-32) The Year of the Turret (1360 DR) Alturiak The Tuigan horde battles the armies of Rashemen in the Battle of the Lake of Tears. (Extended from Uktar, 1359, and derived from Hord Campaign, pp. 50-52) Flamerule The Tuigan horde battles the Army of the Alliance, led by King Azoun IV of Cormyr, in a series of conflicts known collectively as the Battles of the Golden Way. (Extended from Alturiak, 1360, and derived from Hord Campaign, pp. 55-59) __ ADD MULHORANDI PARTICIPATION __ Uktar Word reaches Mourktar of the Banedeath unleashed in far-off Zhentil Keep by the followers of Cyric. Dread Imperceptor Telthaug unleashes his own inquisition in the name of Bane Reborn, and many citizens of Mourktar disappear forever after being taken to the dungeons of the Black Lord’s Altar. In the course of the inquistion, Telthaug’s followers abduct and murder the few true Cyricists in Mourktar as well as many mid-ranking followers of Assuran. By the end of the year, when the inquisition finally draws to a close, three-quarters of the regency council reports directly to Telthaug, and the followers of Assuran are greatly reduced in influence. (Extended from Eleint, 1358, and derived from Ruins of Zhentil Keep Campaign Book, pp. 21-23, and Powers & Pantheons, p. ASSURAN: MAJOR CENTERS OF WORSHIP) The Year of Maidens (1361 DR) Mirtul The corpse of a large vodyanoi washes ashore on the beaches of Oslin. The aquatic umber hulk has apparently been dead for quite some time, and it appears to have been bitten nearly in half. The Lords of the Inner Reach, a mercenary company employed by the small trading village, begin accompanying local fishermen and merchants sailing on the Akanamere. A young dragon turtle has been driven from its lair in the depths of the Wizard’s Reach and sought out the relatively peaceful waters of the Akanamere. It reached the lake by swimming up the River Akax, and the monstrous beast finds the bountiful waters and lack of competition to its liking. The dragon turtle quickly drives off the family of vodyanoi (aquatic umber hulks) who have long dwelt in the region and then begins to settle into its new demesne. (Derived from Old Empires, p. 52) Kythorn A large dragon turtle surfaces in the harbor of Rodanar and destroys two trading vessels from partially rebuilt Soorenar. The monster brushes off the feeble attacks of the town’s few defenders and departs after ingesting both crews. Panic quickly spreads along the coast of Chessenta’s largest lake. Over the next few weeks, no fewer than seven ships of varying sizes disappear in the Akanamere. (Extended from Mirtul, 1361) Flamerule The Lords of the Inner Reach fight a five-hour battle with the Akanamere’s newly resident dragon turtle from Oslin’s beaches and moored fishing vessels. Well over half the company and most of the anchored ships are destroyed by monster’s breath weapon, but the beast is believed to be severely injured and retreats. Rumored sightings of the dragon turtle decline precipitously over the next several weeks, and the beast is assumed to have fled or died. In the years to come, the occasional lost ship is blamed on the Akanaturtle, as the dragon turtle is commonly referred to, but no one really believes the monster remains with the lake. In truth, the Akanaturtle remains within the Akanamere, but it is much more careful in choosing its targets and eliminating all potential witnesses. The dragon turtle restricts itself to destroying only a handful of vessels each year and only during inclement weather when they could have conceivably foundered on their own. (Extended from Kythorn, 1361) The Year of the Helm (1362 DR) Ches Explorers in the desolate southeastern reaches of Mulhorand discover the ruins of an ancient city on the northeastern shore of Azulduth. News of the discovery spreads quickly through the remote town of Buldamar and much more slowly throughout the rest of Mulhorand when the expedition leaders return for additional supplies and laborers to aid them in their endeavors. After three days of purchasing equipment and hiring porters and laborers, the group sets out once again. Three weeks later, two men return to Buldamar suffering from some strange malady. Before their deaths, the former porters explain that the expedition had apparently found the long-lost capital city of Okoth, a sprawling realm that destroyed itself in civil war before the founding of Skuld. Initial excavations of Nagoth, as the city was named, unearthed gems, gold, jewelry, and several items that radiated powerful magic. Disaster struck when one team stumbled into an area of deeper catacombs. Lich-like nagas quickly wiped out the small team and then proceeded to exterminate every member of the expedition they found. The two survivors die of an unknown reddish-brown mold that rapidly fills their lungs and gradually suffocates them. The explorers were actually Setites posing as scholars from Gheldaneth, a simple enough deception so far from Mulhorand’s major population centers. Set’s minions sought ancient magics to employ in the unending war between the Cult of Set and the clergies of Horus-Re, Anhur, Isis, Nephthys, Osiris, and Thoth. The Setites encountered a long-forgotten species of naga found only in and beneath the Lake of Salt. The desiccated appearance of the salt nagas accounts for the survivors’ belief that they were undead. Each salt naga can spit a cloud of spores at will that infect any aerobic creature with non-communicable symptoms, as described above. (Derived from Dragon #202, “Elminster’s Notes,” p. 86) Tarsakh Riots erupt again in Airspur between the majority human populace and the half-orc minority after the self-proclaimed Apostle of Bhaelros begins preaching that the Raging One will annhilate the city to punish its inhabitants for allowing the Spawn of Gruumsh to taint their pure human blood. Many humans flee the city for the purported safety of refugee camps ten miles to the south. The Apostle of Bhaelros is an opportunistic human mercenary named Horgkin with no affiliation to the followers of the Destroyer. Horgkin commands the Wardogs, a powerful mercenary company, and he has pretensions of founding his own kingdom. The mercenary lord’s loudly proclaimed hatred for half-orcs is simply a means to appeal to the disaffected fraction of Airspur’s human population and is, in fact, secretly supported by Khrullis, the half-orc leader of Airspur. Khrullis seeks to drive out those humans who seem incapable of accepting his rulership or the presence of him and his kin without destroying Airspur in the process. (Extended from Flamerule, 1357) Flamerule The Apostle of Bhaelros prophesies the imminent destruction of Airspur, and most of the human refugees from the city who have heeded his warnings join him in a vast southwards migration. By the end of the month, the populace reaches the northern shore of the Akanamere, where they begin constructing a new city midway beteen Rodanar and Soorenar. Despite Horgkin’s prophesies, Airspur is spared from Talos’ wrath, but this matters little to the mercenary’s followers. Over the course of the next two years, the city of Horgmere rises along the shores of the northernmost reaches of the Akanamere. (Extended from Tarsakh, 1362) The Year of the Wyvern (1363 DR) Mirtul The armies of Mourktar march west across the plains of Threskel and besiege Mordulkin. Still weakened by its recent battles with Luthcheq and Unther, the latter as part of the Alliance of Chessenta, Mordulkin is forced to pay heavy tribute to the coffers of the _Black Lord’s Cloak to dissuade them from beseiging the city. (Extended from Marpenoth, 1358, and Uktar, 1360) The Year of the Wave (1364 DR) TIDAL WAVE DESTROYS MUCH OF BEZANTUR. IN ITS WAKE, AN ARMY OF SAHUAGHIN WREAKS TREMENDOUS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. (Powers & Pantheons, p. THE FLAMING BRAZIER) The Year of the Sword (1365 DR) Tarsakh The Great Bone Wyrm of Dragonback Mountain, northernmost peak of the Riders to the Sky mountain range, is reportedly stirring. Several shepherds have reported rumblings from deep within the mountain’s heart similar to those their parents heard before the fearsome dracolich emerged in the Year of the Lurking Death (1322 DR) to terrorize the region for one long summer. (Derived from Code of the Harpers, p. 37) Mirtul A hunting party of nobles from Mordulkin reports sighting the Great Bone Wyrm in the skies above the flat, sandy plains of Threskel. (Extended from Tarsakh, 1365) Eleasias Tchazzarites in Cimbar have hired the Red Morning, an adventuring company based in that city with an extremely formidable reputation, to destroy the Great Bone Wyrm, a historical rival of the Father of Chessenta. The band expects to return in two months time. (Extended from Mirtul, 1365) Marpenoth Faromi, a priestess of Lathander, is the only surviving member of the Red Morning to return to Cimbar. She reports that the party was slaughtered by the dracolich they had hunted. Sages in Mordulkin and Cimbar uncover records suggesting that the Great Bone Wyrm was once a great blue wyrm named Alasklerbanbastos (a-LASK-ler-ban-BAST-os) who contested with Tchazzar for control of western Unther (later known as Chessenta). Faromi reports to the Sceptanar of Cimbar and his court as well as the priests of Tchazzar that the skeletal dracolich was attended by several younger chromatic dragons of varying hues who seemed to be serving the Great Bone Wyrm of their own free will. In addition, she mentions that numerous human followers in the garb of the Cult of the Dragon guarded the lair and attended to the dracolich’s draconic courtiers. (Extended from Eleasias, 1365) The Year of the Staff (1366 DR) Hammer The Drakelight, a nearly 800-foot-high lighthouse which stands at the northeastern end of the Bay of Chessenta at the tip of the Watcher’s Cape, has been destroyed and reduced to rubble. The sole survivor, a soldier from Soorenar, reports that “É a skeletal wyrm of fearsome visage bore down upon the tower breathing fire and lightning ere it ripped the place apart with its bony claws.” Many bodies from the joint garrison staffed by Mordulkin, Luthcheq, and Soorenar are missing as is every known item of magic the defenders possessed. The depredations are blamed on the Great Bone Wyrm. The fearsome dracolich of Dragonback Mountain is indeed responsible for the destruction of the Drakelight. His motives, in part, stem from a desire to cloak the activities of his dragon followers who prefer to hunt on the plains of Threskel and in the Bay of Chessenta. (Extended from Marpenoth, 1365) Eleint The Monograph of Nezras, a discourse on ancient elven and Netherese magics penned by the grand-nephew of Nezram “Worldwalker,” is recovered amidst the ruins of Myth Drannor by the Scions of Nezram, an Mulhorandi adventuring company. The Scions are last seen in Klondor, headed east. The Scions of Nezram are a company composed primarily of wizards descended from Nezram and based in Nezras, on the eastern side of the Sword Mountains. Nezras resided in Myth Drannor for several decades prior to the fall of that fair city, and during his studies at the Six Tyryl Towers he learned something of the nature of the Quess`Ar`Teranthvar. The Monograph of Nezras is a treatise that discusses the results of Nezras’s research into ancient elven and Netherese incantations, including an extensive discussion of the history and fate of the Nether Scrolls. (Derived from Pages from the Mages, p. 119, Old Empires, pp. 8, 66, 83, Cormanthyr, p. , and Fall of Myth Drannor, p. ) The Year of the Shield (1367 DR) Ches An emissary is received in the court of King Hercubes in Mordulkin. He proclaims the ascension of the Great Bone Wyrm to the title of Overking of Chessenta and demands a vow of fealty from the city-state and a tithe of 100,000 pieces of gold. The emissary’s demands are rejected, and King Hercubes orders him imprisoned. Before the king’s guards can capture the emissary, however, he transforms into a fairly young green dragon and flies off to the east. (Extended from Hammer, 1366) Flamerule A flight of chromatic dragons attacks and destroys much of Mordulkin and its army. As much as a quarter of the citizenry is reported killed in the fighting. King Hercubes is slain in the battle, and the surviving members of the Jedea family flee into exile in Cimbar. An adult red dragon by the name of Pyratyrmanix (PEER-a-tear-MAN-icks) proclaims himself Lord of Mordulkin and vassal of the Overking of Chessenta. Thus begins “The Flamerule” in that city. Over the next several months, the surviving citizens of Mordulkin rebuild their city and most of the occupying dragons leave. Trade resumes, but a heavy tax imposed by the city’s new draconic lord greatly hinders Mordulkin’s economic recovery. Agents of the Cult of the Dragon assume most of the positions of authority within the city’s bureaucracy. (Extended from Ches, 1367) Eleint Guyanothaz, a venerable red dragon long crippled by blindness, has apparently regained his sight and emerged from his centuries-long, self-imposed withdrawal from the outside world. Guyanothaz has been seen bathing and drinking in the Methmere, hunting in the Methwoods, and attacking caravans west of Thamon. After two weeks of stretching his wings, the dragon was last seen headed northwards along the coast of Unther in the direction of Thay. The Cult of Tiamat is responsible for Guyanothaz’s cure and subsequent emergence, in part to counter the burgeoning influence of the Cult of the Dragon in Threskel. The Dark Scaly Ones have convinced the venerable wyrm to ally himself with their efforts to rule strife-torn Unther and to move its lair to the eminently more defensible island in the Alamber Sea known as the Ship of Gods. Guyanothaz now lairs with his quickly expanding hoard atop the ever-rumbling volcano that dominates the isle. In addition to the sizable treasury of wealth donated by the Cult of Tiamat, the red dragon has quickly acquired additional riches by preying on shipping throughout the Alamber Sea and the Wizard’s Reach. As of yet, no one suspects the Guyanothaz’s role in the recent increase in disappearances of ships in the region, nor is anyone aware of the location of the dragon’s new lair. The cult provides information on shipping routes and cargoes, focusing on vessels operated by their rivals for control of Unther. Unbeknownst to Guyanothaz or the Dark Scaly Ones of Unther, during the Time of Troubles the avatar of Geb led a small army of his followers to the depths of the island volcano where they built a secret temple. Only through the unceasing efforts of the Gebites has the long-anticipated explosion of the volcano been averted. For now, the inhabitants of the Golden Forge continue their daily battle with the forces of the earth, but if Guyanothaz ever learns of Gebites presence so close to his new lair, the resulting strife may hinder their efforts sufficiently that the Ship of Gods erupts in a shower of lava, reigning ash on the coast of Unther or Mulhorand. (Extended from Flamerule, 1358, and derived from Old Empires, pp. 16, 37-38, 41) Uktar Another emissary of the Great Bone Wyrm is received in Mourktar by Dread Imperceptor Kabarrath Telthaug. While it is not known what the two discussed, within a week a heavily armed caravan from Mourktar passes through Thamor, headed west, and shortly thereafter, Leppidon, Lord of Thamor, is recalled to Mourktar and replaced by a new council of lords cloaked in the now-familiar garb of the dracolich’s followers. Having observed the fate of Mordulkin, the Dread Imperceptor pledged allegiance to the Great Bone Wyrm, recognized the dracolich as Overking of Chessenta, promised an annual tithe of 100,000 gold pieces, and ceded control of Thamon to the dracolich’s human agents. In exchange, Mourktar was spared the fate of Mordulkin and retained its autonomy. From this time onwards, the Great Bone Wyrm and its agents control all of the lands north of the River of Metals and the Jade River, including Threskel, Thamor, Mordulkin, Mount Thulbane, and Watcher’s Cape. (Extended from Flamerule, 1367) NOTE TO THE EDITOR: The Jade River flows westward from the Riders to the Sky mountains to the Bay of Chessenta, just south of Mordulkin. As far as I can tell from consulting the likely TSR printed source material, this river has not been previously named. I believe this name will appear in the upcoming Cult of the Dragon supplement. The Year of the Banner (1368 DR) Hammer Heralds simultaneously appear in the courts of Airspur, Akanax, Cimbar, Mordulkin, Mourktar, and Soorenar proclaiming the rule of Overking Gildenbone the Eternal, otherwise known as the Great Bone Wyrm. Immediately after each proclamation, the herald vanishes in a puff of golden smoke and a gleaming skeletal dragon is briefly seen in the skies overhead, gilt in the tribute of Mordulkin and Mourktar. Minions of the Great Bone Wyrm melted down the thousands of gold pieces seized from the cities of Threskel into a molten bath. The draconic Overking then immersed himself for a tenday before emerged plated in golden armor. In addition to appealing to the dracolich’s vanity, the coat of gold improves his ability to withstand certain types of attacks and acts as a material component for several unique spells the Great Bone Wyrm has researched. Unseen by the inhabitants of Chessenta’s cities, the dracolich has also embedded countless gems in his bony frame. Each jewel contains an embedded incantation that can be triggered at will by the Great Bone Wyrm or is automatically released if shattered by an attacker. (Extended from Uktar, 1367) Alturiak The Sceptanar invites the leaders of Chessenta’s autonomous city-states to Cimbar to discuss the looming threat of the Great Bone Wyrm and his minions. The conference quickly breaks down into bickering along traditional fault lines between the cities over who should lead the nascent alliance, despite the Sceptanar’s offer to withdraw himself from consideration. __ REFERENCE __ __ SOMETHING ABOUT BONE WYRM’S TROOPS ATTACKING SOORENAR, BUT BEING DRIVEN BACK BY ALLIED FORCES OF AIRSPUR, AKANAX, and CIMBAR, LED BY SCEPTANAR __ __ SOMETHING ABOUT OTHER CITIES OF CHESSENTA RECOGNIZING SCEPTANAR AS OVERKING __ Uktar The harvest in Chessenta, particularly in the Akanul, has been so great this year that heavily laden ships are plying the Sea of Fallen Stars to sell root vegetables at bargain prices. A rare cross-Shar caravan led by the Sailors of the Crimson Sea (a land-based mercenary company) is attempting to bring the plenty to markets in the Lake of Steam ports. Brigands have attacked this caravan several times, but it is so large that its outriders mass into a small army, and their swords and spells have driven the attackers back with heavy losses. Farmers across Faer#158;n are warned that carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, potatoes, and the like will bring only a copper a basket or less in any land easily reached by ship or wagon. (Modified excerpt from Running the Realms, p. 23, and derived in part from Old Empires, p. 52, 63) The Year of the Gauntlet (1369 DR) The Year of the Tankard (1370 DR) Alturiak A bright flash in the central peaks of the Sword Mountains is observed by thousands in the Great Vale on the seventh day of this month, but the origin is obscured by unusually dense and persistent cloud cover. A hastily organized expedition is dispatched by the clergy of Anhur to investigate. When the expedition arrives at the site, they discover that the top of Mount Nezram has been sheared off cleanly and the peak now hovers, upside down, a thousand feet above its original location. Extensive and ongoing construction atop the floating island is visible through the obscuring clouds. On a hunch, the commander of the expedition dispatches a smaller team to investigate the status of the nearby community of Nezras. The team reports that the settlement of Nezramites (descendants of Nezram `Worldwalker’) has been completely abandoned, apparently within the past few weeks. Two days later, the unnatural cloud cover abruptly dissipates to reveal a city of gleaming spires atop the inverted pinnacle. Shortly thereafter, the floating citadel flies off towards the moon and is never seen again. Nezram’s descendants, many of whom are skilled practitioners in the Art, have succeeded in recreating some of the long-lost spells of the Netherese. The crowning achievement of that work is the creation of a floating city reminiscent of ancient Netheril. As the floating city of Yeoman’s Loft is said to have done millennia ago, the newly raised city of High Nezras and its inhabitants have set off to the upper reaches of Toril’s atmosphere from which their spelljammers can explore Realmspace and the crystal spheres. (Extended from Eleint, 1366, and derived from, Netheril: The Winds of Netheril, pp. 9, 93, and Netheril: Encyclopedia Arcana, pp. 4-12) Tarsakh A second expedition to the Sword Mountains is mounted by the clergies of Thoth and Isis to explore the abandoned village of Nezras. The company reaches the Lonely Lake Oasis without incident, but is then attacked and nearly wiped out by a great brown wyrm which erupts from the Plains of Purple Dust. The two survivors of the ill-fated expedition report that the great dragon has apparently claimed the site as its lair and the Sword Mountains and western Plains of Purple Dust as its domain. Scholars in Gheldaneth speculate that the great wyrm is female by the name of Wastumberkari (wa-STUM-ber-KAR-ee) and that she may have also laid claim to the hoard of her ancient foe Gestaniius, the great blue wyrm slain by Tchazzar during the Time of Troubles. (Extended from Alturiak, 1370 and Eleint, 1358. Also derived from Old Empires, pp. 89-90 and Monstrous Manual, p. 80) Kythorn The Golden Osprey has wrecked on the rocky coastal shore of Mount Thulbane while fleeing the Wraith of the Inner Sea. Several members of the Osprey’s crew survived the sinking and made their way to Mourktar. Reportedly the ship’s officers were Mulhorandi priests of Anhur who had successfully recovered a long-lost artifact known as the Beacon of Light from the Pirate Isles. The fate of the artifact and the rest of the ship’s cargo is unknown, but other ships report seeing unusual sahuaghin activity in the area shortly thereafter. The Beacon of Light now rests in the treasury of Kromes, Tyrant of Vahaxtyl. Vahaxtyl is the largest city of the sahuaghin in the Kingdom of Aleaxtis, located on the floor of the Alamber Sea. The priesthood of Anhur will spare no effort to find and recover the artifact for which they have long searched. However, Kromes has no intention of allowing the Anhurites to recover the Beacon as the sahuaghin tyrant is still smarting from the defeat of his forces in the Battle of Summer Storms. (Extended from Tarsakh, 1357, and Mirtul, 1357, and derived from Old Empires, pp. 7, 16, 62-63, Pirates of the Fallen Stars, pp. 65-66, and Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical, pp. 95-96) THOUGHTS Shieldmeet occurs in 1360, 1364, and 1368. Airspur and Soorenar are at war with Cimbar (FR10, pp. 5, 53) Have another sea battle between Cimbar and the cities of the North Coast. Cimbar taking advantage of their weakness? Survivors coming to a rival city? (FR10, p. 53) Akanax is considering joining Airspur and Soorenar in their war with Cimbar and considering invading Soorenar. It expects war with Luthcheq soon. (FR10, p. 54) Mordulkin is the historic enemy of Luthcheq, from before the days of the Karanoks and is strongly tempted to attack. (FR10, pp. 54, 57) Luthcheq is technically allied with Airspur and Soorenar, but it has yet to contribute any troops, claiming it is threatened by Mordulkin. (FR10, p. 54) (SET OFF BY MAGE RESCUE???) Mourktar has traditional problems with pirates, sahuaghin. The trade route from Messemprar to Mourktar to Sultim is hampered by troubles in Unther. Many merchants and mercenaries have gathered in Mourktar to take advantage of the riots in Messemprar and the expected civil war in Unther. (FR10, p. 55) The expected scenario is that if Mordulkin attacks Luthcheq and Akanax attacks Soorenar (INCITED BY AGENTS OF CIMBAR???), then the Northern Alliance (Airspur, Soorenar, & Luthcheq) will fall to the Triangle Alliance (Cimbar, Akanax, and Mordulkin), setting the stage for a battle between the two big heavies: Cimbar and Akanax. Airspur is likely to sue for peace in the war with Cimbar, perhaps offering them military assistance against the Northern Alliance. Half-orc tension will continue to grow. A new city may be built on the northern shores of the Akanamere. The cult of Bhaelros may stage a resurgence as an acceptable opposition force. (FR10, p. 58) Cimbar may be wracked by violence caused by priests of Tchazzar inciting the mob of peasants, mercenaries, and young people to riot as they herald Tchazzar’s imminent return. Tchazzar’s return is the only possible challenge to the Sceptanar’s authority. (FR10, p. 58) Akanax will eventually join the war against Soorenar. The outcome will be either Cimbar controls Soorenar and Akanax goods get free passage while Soorenar pays to rebuild Akanax or Akanax and Cimbar then go to war. (FR10, p.59) Mordulkin is likely to declare war on Luthcheq and suffer heavy losses. Luthcheq will be destroyed, but those Karanoks who escape will hire assassins to kill the Lords of Mordulkin. (FR10, p. 59) Mourktar has been rocked by the recent “Tournament” to find a successor to the king. Depending on the outcome, the military might depose the new ruler. The people want the sahuaghin attacks stopped, but the king knows the military is inadequate to defend against such an attack. (FR10, p. 60) Soorenar is likely to hire high-level mages to attack Cimbar. This will alienate Luthcheq and antagonize Akanax (bringing back memories of their own bombardment). Soorenar will be crushed and either destroyed or occupied while the lords flee. (FR10 p. 60) The main temple of Azuth is in Cimbar. The secondary temple of Azuth is in Mordulkin. Tchazzar’s worship is concentrated in Cimbar and Soorenar. Entropy is worshipped only in Luthcheq. Waukeen, Lathander, and Anhur also have followings. The Renegades are a ruthless band of lawless mercenaries. Their leader is participating in the Mourktar tournament, and might use them if he loses. The Sailors of the Crimson Sea are a mercenary company active in the Vilhon Reach area. They might come back to Chessenta and fight, but only for the “right side” of any conflict. The Society of the Sword is based in Cimbar and hates the leader of the Renegades. Perhaps a battle? (FR10, p. 63) Category:Locations in East Faerûn